Paris Motor Show

Aston-Martin One-77

The One-77 was easily the biggest tease of the show. It was supposed to showcase the future of Aston styling, but the company never actually removed its custom-tailored car cover (in a lovely charcoal pinstripe). Either Aston is getting into the bespoke suit business or, more likely, the car just ain't done yet. When it finally does appear in October 2009, it will house a 700-plus-horsepower V-12 and some custom-tailoring work of Aston's own: Each of the 77 produced will be built by hand and sold for a very post-recession-friendly $2 million.

Photo: Courtesy of Aston-Martin

Audi S4

For a while now, "S4" has been Audi-speak for V-8. That changes next year with the release of this sedan, which trades in the '08 eight for a supercharged, 3.0-liter V-6. A slight drop in horsepower is more than made up for by a bump in torque—ah, the beauty of the supercharger—making the new S4 actually quicker than earlier versions. It's also reported to return about 24 mpg in mid driving—a whopping 7 mpg better than the old car.Photo: Courtesy of Audi

BMW Concept

It's inevitable: SUVs are slowly turning back into the grocery-getters of yore. Take this Bimmer concept, which is based on car underpinnings. When the production version goes on sale in Europe (and likely the U.S.) late next year, drivers will be able to choose from either a four- or six-cylinder engine—the first time in about a decade that BMW will offer a four-cylinder car to Americans. Between higher gas prices and looming fuel-economy regulations, it won't be the last.Photo: Courtesy of BMW

Honda Insight

Think of this concept as the Toyota Prius' brother from another mother: same hump-backed shape, almost identical dimensions, and a puny 1.3-liter engine augmented by an electric motor. That should mean Prius-like fuel economy as well—plus, not unimportant in these times, a price tag a few thousand less than the Toyota. (Sadly, next year's production version won't have the bigger wheels or the LED headlights seen here.)Photo: Courtesy of Honda

Lamborghini Estoque

Four-door sedans from Aston Martin and Porsche are weird enough, but Lamborghini as well? True story. The V-10-powered Estoque isn't yet headed for production, but its appearance in Paris suggests Lambo is seriously considering such sacrilege. Not everyone's convinced there's a market for these things: Rival Ferrari has claimed it would never betray its heritage by making a sedan. Translation: Look for the F430 wagon sometime in early 2011.Photo: Courtesy of Lamborghini

Citroën Hypnos

Citroëns have always been on the quirky side, and this mondo wagon is no exception—especially that multifaceted front end. The oddity continues on the inside, where the French company promises "a powerful sensory experience awaits the driver and passengers, taking them into the realm of pure magic." (Hint: It's très colorful.) As a whole, too wacky by half, but the designers get an "A" for effort (or, as the French might put it, "seize sur vingt").Photo: Courtesy of Citroën

Mercedes-Benz ConceptFascination

Fascination—pronounced faz-ee-nation by Mercedes ecs—is one of those words that always appeals to German car companies. (See also: dynamic and exclusive.) It might overstate the case for Mercedes' new quasi–station wagon, but we admit the name ConceptPrettyCompelling isn't as good. In any case, you're looking at a design study, which is meant to showcase aesthetic themes of future production models. Look for the first example next year, when the Mercedes E-class sedan will be the first to take on this blocky but elegant style.Photo: Courtesy of Mercedes-Benz

Mini Crossover

From the Department of Vehicular Oxymorons—also home to the "sporty minivan" and the "young-man's Buick"—comes this Mini SUV. Not the easiest concept to endorse, but the interior houses something truly radical: a laser-projected 3-D globe that glows in the center of the dash and incorporates all of the car's entertainment and information displays. (That's right, lasers.) As a side note, Mini promises that no future model will exceed the Crossover's 162-inch length. Looks like that Mini long-bed pickup is still just a pipe dream.Photo: Courtesy of BMW

Ferrari California

Thanks to a nearly six-month rollout, you've probably already seen this new Ferrari at least once. But it's worth seeing again. After all, that smiling mug suggests a bit of pre–financial crisis optimism, which is only echoed by the fact that the car's first production run has already sold out. So what does nearly $256,000 get you? A V-8 that's good for 0 to 62 in under four seconds housed in an unapologetically gorgeous package. And while the version showcased in Paris was sky blue, we wouldn't be caught dead in anything but cherry red.Photo: Courtesy of Ferrari

The One-77 was easily the biggest tease of the show. It was supposed to showcase the future of Aston styling, but the company never actually removed its custom-tailored car cover (in a lovely charcoal pinstripe). Either Aston is getting into the bespoke suit business or, more likely, the car just ain't done yet. When it finally does appear in October 2009, it will house a 700-plus-horsepower V-12 and some custom-tailoring work of Aston's own: Each of the 77 produced will be built by hand and sold for a very post-recession-friendly $2 million.